Ye Olde Kissing Booth
by 4thFromTheFurnace
Summary: Sequel to Kiss the Cook.  Making sure both of them were safe was tough enough in itself, but it slowly becomes a nightmare when they're shipped to another side of the country, trying to outrun the new impeding threat. -AyumuxHiyono-
1. The Journey Departure

**The sequel to Kiss the Cook is finally here! Forgive the delay, my friends. I do not own Spiral.**

"You're sure that's their destination?" the booming voice echoed throughout the hall. Everything was dark, it was a wonder nobody killed themselves, or supposedly nobody, at least. The chair was turned in the other direction, obscuring the speaker like a curtain drawn between him and everyone else. The only light was the light of a number of computer screens on the other side of the room.

"Positive, sir." A man, presumably young from the sound of his voice, bowed his head in affirmative response.

"Well, that's your territory then, isn't it? Go. I don't want any more mistakes."

Another figure nodded, "Sir."

With that the figure turned to leave, but not before the superior's voice rang again, "Don't forget. Use all the artillery you were given if necessary."

The figure nodded again, "Yes, sir."

A booming laugh echoed from the superior's chair, "It's time…to crush the hope of the Blade Children. Let us find out…exactly how much you can take, Narumi Ayumu."

* * *

><p>The overhead speaker buzzed obnoxiously, somehow overpowering the sounds of chaos that had manifested in the airport, "Last call for Flight 13-D, flight leaves in fifteen minutes."<p>

Her feet pounded against the carpet, her caramel braids flapping with the movement. She held her carry-on bag with two hands, struggling slightly with its weight. Occasionally, she would turn around and look back, making sure that he was still following at a relatively steady pace. He made no effort to keep up, and she could tell he was already unhappy with this to begin with. Once again, he would end up in some weird place with weird people and unable to escape the enthrall of the Blade Children. He really had to get another life.

She knew he hated this. He didn't even have to say anything. This was definitely something he did not like. He would much rather be sleeping on the roof of his high school with a cooking magazine over his face. He didn't even really have to give an expression to emanate how much he disliked this predicament. However, just the fact that he was doing this again meant something, and she knew it. She could see it in his eyes, despite his ever-present facade. He was driven by the instinct to keep her safe. They had to go somewhere, somewhere other than home. That's what they had been told. Here they were, about to fly off again.

Her words almost stuttered out of her mouth. It felt like she almost had to gag just to find her voice.

"C'mon, N-Narumi-san! We're going to be late!"

She quickly hurried on, neglecting to linger her attention on him. The young woman bit her lip, almost feeling the blood rushing to her head as her mind wandered off again.

This whole thing was tough on her too. Truthfully now she had no idea when she'd get to see home again. But in the least, she had to be grateful. After all, even though she couldn't return just yet, the air fares were already paid for them, thanks to a little help.

Now that their previous hiding spot had been detected, they had to be displaced once again. At their hosts' request, they were to go off to another rendezvous point in almost the middle of nowhere. However, given the time of year, this almost middle of nowhere at least had some entertainment, or so she read in a pamphlet she had confiscated from her hosts. So, while she was here, she might as well have a little fun. Nevertheless, there was still one thing that never failed to rain on her party.

This 'thing' plodded along yards behind her, his dank cloud of doom looming over his head and spreading his mood to anyone who gave him a second look.

She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know what his problem was, especially considering the events of the past few days. In fact, to be honest with herself, she tried with everything she could to avoid the subject. Somehow, she figured that maybe his foul mood had to do with her. But now wasn't the time to think about that.

"Narumi-san! Hurry it up already!" she puffed out her cheeks. Her small boots scuffed against the floor as she stopped and waited for him to catch up. If she didn't know better, by the way he looked right now she wondered if he might drop her off on the next plane then hightail it back to Japan. That would never happen, of course, she reasoned, for one of the same reasons that he was sulking right now.

Unwilling to test her theory, she kept her mouth shut and gave him a bright smile, a ray of sunshine counteracting his walking thunderstorm. As he plodded closer she fell into step beside him, her eyes wandering from the floor to the ceiling and back. Neither said anything for a long time, and she hazarded a glance at him before she turned away, trying to rid herself of the strange feelings that arose in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, but something about his pensive frustrated expression stirred something uncomfortable inside her.

Unintentionally, she curled one arm tightly around herself and clutched her coat collar tightly in her fingertips. She suddenly felt cold.

If only things were simple again.

After another few moments he nudged her with his elbow, his gaze still fixed forward. She glanced up at him, and he lightly grunted as his eyes grazed over her quickly, "Hn."

It wasn't much, but it was enough. She shook her head lightly and let it go, unconsciously edging a little closer to him. He said nothing and both continued to board the plane.

It took a lot longer to find their seats than he wanted, that was for sure. She looked back at him with questioning eyes, silently wondering if he wanted the window-seat. He shook his head and nodded for her to go in first, a decision he would later regret just a little bit. She obeyed, scooting in and situating herself as she sat down and smoothed out her coat a little bit.

He followed, sitting next to her silently. Once again, neither said anything and he stole a glance at her as she stared at the ground, her shoulders tucked in nervously as she twirled one lock of hair around her fingers. He leaned his elbow on the armrest and rested his chin in his hand just as a stocky older gentleman checked the seat number and sat in the seat beside him.

His brown eyes hit the floor before glancing at her again. He gritted his teeth, swallowed lightly, and growled as his gaze lingered on her face a little too long, jerking his head away from her. Finally, she sighed and spoke up, "Narumi-san, I—"

She was cut off by the loudspeaker as the pilot instructed the passengers to put on seatbelts. With a sigh she went silent again and stared out the window until her eyelids started to droop.

Ayumu would occasionally look over as the young girl slowly drifted off to sleep, occasionally falling into a sleepy grunt or mumble. After a little while she began to get restless and shift around, trying to get more comfortable. Still unsatisfied, she turned around and fumbled about for something to lean on in his direction. He leaned his right arm on the armrest between them as she clutched at his arm, clinging to it and nuzzling her face into his shoulder, clearly still asleep.

The older gentleman cleared his throat lowly and began to speak, "So, son, where are you and yer lil' lady headed?"

Trying to avoid the urge to glare at him, Ayumu shook his head, "We're not—"

"Aww, now don't go trying to deny it, me boy. I may not see like I use ta, but I ain't that blind."

Ayumu just shook his head. This old man was spouting nonsense. Nonsense that was really the last thing he wanted to think about.

After a while, the old man slumped in his chair and snored lightly. Ayumu took the time to organize his thoughts of the last couple days, excluding the parts that were completely unnecessary at the moment.

_It was the day after they had escaped the fair. Destrier was eating breakfast at the table while Flynn and Jack made a point to talk to him. Flynn shoved two tickets in his face, and all of them spoke quietly, "Narumi, these are two plane tickets. Use them to get out of here."_

_Ayumu raised an eyebrow, to which Jack sighed in response, "It's not safe for you here anymore, but you can't go back to Japan. You hafta take the lady and go."_

_Destrier spoke lowly from the kitchen table, swallowing a piece of toast, "The Hunters are on the move."_

_The brunet frowned and took the tickets as Flynn leaned forward, whispering at this point, "Be careful, Narumi. There are those out there who would rather have your noggin on a platter than help you out. Don't trust anyone unless they mention the Savior Project."_

_"Savior Project?"_

_Flynn interjected, "You'll find out more later, but if you want Hiyono safe, you have to trust us on this."_

_"We have a contact up there. If you go meet up 'em now, you should have a safe haven for another couple weeks until we can figure out what to do." Jack continued._

He sighed and glanced down at the woman on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and shook his head, stopping one of the stewards and asking her for a pillow. When she returned, he took the pillow and lifted Hiyono's head from his shoulder, prying his arm out of her grasp and laying the pillow on the arm of the chair for her to rest on.

So now he was destined for another nightmare in order to find one person with a limited description that may or may not be there so he could seek shelter from something that may or may not still be a threat to him. Lovely.

Going into the middle of nowhere again, just to hide away like a rat in the attic. It was crazy and he hated it.

**Yes, this one was rather uneventful, but hang in there for me. My GREATEST thanks so much to those who read and reviewed Kiss the Cook, you guys are so awesome! Take care, my friends. Lord bless, I'm praying for you! Mind you, I may be a little late on chapters this time as well, but I'm going to try my best. Forgive me that it's so late.**

**Preview: **When the two teens finally arrive at their destination, the next most difficult step is trying to find their contact with the little bit of information that they were given. However, when the Hunters manage to get a piece of crucial information, finding the right contact in time becomes detrimental. Meanwhile, Ayumu becomes increasingly distant and uncooperative. And with all communications with the other Blade Children cut off, Ayumu begins to feel as if he's stepped into another horrendous nightmare. But how will they survive when they have no idea who to trust?


	2. The Lack of Knowledge

**One of these days I'll get better at not keeping people waiting so badly, I swear it. I have not given up! So here is Chapter 2! Sorry for the wait everyone...**

The taxi ride was probably what drove him to complete insanity. No surprise, the living nightmare was getting no better. Hiyono sat with barely a seat between them, or so it seemed, staring intently out the window. She turned to him and gave a quirky smile, "You know, I don't know if I'll ever get used to them driving on the other side of the road like this."

She did her best. That was all she could do, while a certain someone glared furiously out the window, pausing to glance at her occasionally when she spoke. He had spaced himself as far away from her as he could, and, swallowing the temptation to feel any pain from it; she slapped on a smile and tried to keep the subject away from the proverbial elephant in the taxi.

Unconsciously heaving a sigh, she returned her attention to the world outside the ticking emotional time bomb encased in a black and yellow shell. This wasn't exactly how she planned on spending the next couple weeks either.

When they had arrived at the airport, no one was there to greet them, and all they received was a letter with the name of a hotel and directions, along with instructions to take a cab. Granted, with the letter came a small wad of cash for the trip, but Hiyono could tell just by the fact that none of it sat well with her that it would definitely be suspicious to her partner.

As if he needed any more hassle at this point.

A sudden sound bolted her from her thoughts, and it took her a few moments to recognize the sound as her partner's voice.

"It shouldn't be that surprising. America has a different system for just about everything…measuring amounts and distances, language rules and structure, so it shouldn't be that strange that they would drive on the other side of the road."

She couldn't help but gape at him. He was still staring out in the other direction, but his expression had softened a bit, and she realized that he was actually trying to make conversation. Her expression drifted into a smile, and he slowly shifted his brown eyes to her, "What?"

Hiyono shook her head and repositioned herself at the car window. There was a moment of silence, and the only sound was the rumble of the engine and the taxi driver humming to some tune stuck in his head. She felt a light, comforting warmth flow through her, and she spoke, "Thanks, Narumi-san."

The response came as a gruff mumble, "Hn. Whatever."

The rest of the ride was pretty much silent, and still somewhat tense, but the air felt much more comfortable than before. Hiyono handed the cash to the taxi driver and both exited the car, dragging their luggage along behind them. Walking into the hotel, Ayumu's eyes narrowed and Hiyono's sparkled.

The interior was beautiful, decorated with polished wood and gold and green accents, finely dressed bellhops carting luggage back and forth, coming and going from the elevators on either side of an extravagant cascading stairwell in the center. The waxed floor reflected perfectly, casting a bright golden reflection of the sparkling chandelier overhead.

Hiyono clasped her hands in awe, "Narumi-san…look…"

"I am." He discreetly scanned the area, undoubtedly for suspicious persons. Sighing and puffing out her cheeks, Hiyono rushed over to the large, elaborate reception desk, "Excuse me, ma'am. Could I have a room?"

The woman behind the desk glanced over her glasses at a computer screen, her eyebrows rising and creating lines on her forehead, tightened by the sleek bun in her hair, "Very well, do you have a reservation?"

Stunned into a blank, Hiyono blinked, the woman's eyes drilling into her from over the glasses. The reporter nearly jumped when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, and turned as Ayumu leaned over her shoulder, "Oshiro. I am Ryu and this is my sister Miki."

The woman glanced down at her computer screen again, and raised her eyebrows, nodding, "Alright, I have your double room ready. The bellmen will be down in just a moment to transport your luggage upstairs. Here is your key, sir."

Ayumu took the key, and shook his head, politely declining, "That's quite alright, ma'am. We'll transport the luggage ourselves, thank you."

The woman very nearly rolled her eyes and replied robotically, "Enjoy your stay."

The two travelers then took their luggage and stepped into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed on them, Hiyono released a snort of laughter. Ayumu's eyes narrowed on her, "What?"

Covering her mouth as she chuckled, she managed a response, "Those names. Who made THOSE up? I mean, "castle", "dragon", and "princess"? This is exciting!"

Crossing his arms, Ayumu frowned, a furrow forming between his eyebrows, "Believe me, it wasn't my idea. It was written on the back of the letter that those were the names under our registration."

When she finally stopped laughing, she sighed, "Well, I guess while we're still travelling cross-country like this, we can't very well use our names, can we?"

His low grunt of affirmation answered her.

The rest of the elevator ride was silent, and the crawling awkward feeling began to rise in the air. Hiyono watched Ayumu for any sign that said what he was thinking. Nothing. She sighed and began to stare at the elevator doors, as if beckoning them to open. All in all, she was really beginning to worry about him.

After getting lost in the halls once or twice thanks to Hiyono's directions, they finally arrived at the hotel room. Upon entering, Hiyono could see the neat living room decorated with polished curved furniture and a bedroom off to one side. Immediately, she rushed to the window to inspect the view, admiring the sunset over the rolling hills.

Her stomach growled and something dawned on her, "Narumi-san? What are we going to do about food? Could we get—"

"No. No room service."

His slightly harsh, abrupt answer left her slightly stunned. Seeing the expression on her face, he elaborated, his voice dulling to a logical, apathetic drone, "The possibility of a Hunter, or any other weirdo for that matter, coming in here would be increased exponentially. And…I'm not always going to be here…"

When his tone suddenly dropped in speed and volume, Hiyono watched him curiously as he turned his face from her.

"Narumi-san?"

When he faced her again, there was no evidence of emotion on his face, "You can't call me that, you know. If this disguise is going to work, then we have to call each other by our other names."

He continued, a snarky hint to his voice, "Of course, that just means that you lose out, because as your brother I can still call you "stupid"."

She squinted at him and huffed, "You're horrible, Na—I mean, Ryu-kun. Or should I call you "Otouto", little brother?"

Hiyono could have sworn she saw him cringe.

"Let's…just stick with the first names."

Her mouth quirked in a small smile and he sat down on the couch, his hand exhaustedly rubbing the bridge of his nose, "We'll go out to eat in just a little bit. After that, we're not going anywhere today. You'll sleep in the bed. I'll take the couch."

Hiyono began to protest, "But Narumi-sa—"

"Don't, Hiyono. What kind of man would I be if I let you sleep on the couch?"

She sighed and both were silent again. After a few moments, he rose from the couch and walked towards the door, "C'mon. Knowing you, you're probably starving."

She nodded and fell into step behind him.

Hiyono wasn't complaining too much. He had taken her to a small café down the street, so the portions weren't that big, but the food was rather tasty. Ayumu had situated them at a table near the back of the room. And, with all the customers and staff busy, Hiyono found it appropriate to take her pink notebook out of her pocket.

Scribbling a few notes down, she began, "So, Nar—Ryu-kun…what do you think is our mission this time?"

Glancing at her once and looking away, he leaned his chin in his hand before answering, "There is no mission, Miki. You know my only objective, I don't think I need to say it again. Anyways, if those backwater bums are correct, then we can expect two sides to be lurking around. Judging by what we know, the one is already after us, and probably either already here or close to it, and the other party should be waiting for us."

Jotting down something else on her notepad, she spoke without looking up, "So what do you think we should be looking for?"

Thumbing his chin for a moment, Ayumu continued, "Well, the cab ride and hotel bill weren't cheap, especially at the length of time we're staying, so we're looking for someone with a good amount of money at his or her disposal. On the other hand, those who are looking for us probably sent someone we would never expect to keep an eye on us until more of them can get here. They should have a wide variety of agents and informers to cover a wide area, so it would be no surprise."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Our best bet is probably to get information. Discretely, mind you. Don't give any real information on us; if we have to, we'll make something up. Those who are looking for us probably already have an idea who we are, so report back to me if anyone acts suspicious. Also, I want you in the vicinity at all times. Stay where I can see you, but keep it natural. They will probably suspect you to be close by, especially after their last failed attempt."

Hiyono nodded, writing one last thing in her notebook before closing it and putting it in her pocket. As she was about to rise from her seat, he spoke again, "And hey."

When she turned to listen to him, he continued, "Be careful out there, okay? Last thing I wanna do is have to clean up a horrible mess."

Hiyono smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be alright."

Ayumu stared after her for a moment before shaking his head and glancing around the café. Hiyono went about her business, walking up to the counter and ordering a hot beverage. Her eyes carefully scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary, or at least interesting. Her eyes merely fell on customers conversing with each other, on their cell phones, or working on their computers. Hiyono took the beverage from the girl behind the counter and spotted a young boy, probably no older than thirteen sitting at his computer in the corner, chewing on a wad of gum that was stuffed somewhere inside his cheek. She slowly made her way over to him, giving a polite smile and inquiring, "What are you working on?"

The boy barely glanced up at her, his long dark hair hanging over his face, "A project for school."

Meanwhile, Ayumu stood from the table and slowly walked across the café and out the glass doors, scanning the sidewalk for a moment before turning around just quickly enough to run smack into a young woman wheeling a briefcase and carrying a coffee. Naturally, the coffee spilled all over the front of her business suit and she let out a hiss of pain before turning her attention to the perpetrator.

Poking a finger into his face, she scowled, "Hey, you better watch where you're goin', Mr. um…."

"Oshiro. Ryu Oshiro." Ayumu replied blandly, attempting to pick up some of the papers that she had dropped. Handing them to her, he turned his gaze to the woman, tall and mature in appearance, with rich brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders in curls. Her presence honestly reminded him a bit of Madoka.

She raised one eyebrow high into her forehead as her facial features twitched for a moment, "Oshiro, eh? Well, you have a cute face so I'll let you off the hook this time. Maybe I'll see you around. My name is Margaret." She nodded politely and walked away, turning back once to yell, "If you ever need saving, look me up, hot stuff."

Ayumu continued to study her back as she walked away as he pondered his observations.

* * *

><p>Inside, Hiyono sat down in a stool next to the boy, a smile on her face, "So, what kind of project is it?"<p>

The boy stopped typing for a moment to flip his hair out of his eyes. It was a few moments before he spoke, his voice low and barely audible, "Just a project on culture and redemption."

Hiyono scooted closer, tilting her head, "Redemption?"

The boy slightly rolled his eyes, "You know, salvation."

Her lips formed an 'o' and she slowly nodded. With a giggle, she stood to her feet, "Sorry to bother you. My name is Miki. Miki Oshiro."

The boy finally looked up from the computer and into her face, "Oshiro, huh? Okay. My name's Vince."

She smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Vince. Why do you come all the way down here to use the computer?"

He shrugged and returned his gaze to the computer screen, "Well, we don't have internet back home, so I walk over here for online resources."

Hiyono nodded, though was surprised when he continued, "We don't have internet at work either. We don't even have computers."

The reporter raised her eyebrows, "You work?"

He nodded, "Not much, but it's not bad and it brings in some cash. Maybe you can come visit sometime."

Hiyono studied the floor for a minute before answering, "Sounds like fun! I'll have to check with my family first to get a ride and such, but it does sound nice! Maybe I'll see you around."

He was silent for a moment, "Okay…you'll probably find me here in the evenings."

Hiyono walked away, going through the café doors to go outside and meet her "brother". Heaving a sigh of relief, she turned and found her quarry leaning against the wall of the shop next door. As she was walking toward him, he fell into step a couple yards ahead of her, muttering only loud enough for her to hear, "I want you to go into the hotel first. I will follow you in a few minutes."

Obeying, she walked in the front doors, accidentally looking back at him as he continued to walk down the sidewalk. Shaking her head, she made her way back to the room.

Sitting on the couch, she flipped on the television and began to switch channels. It was beginning to get into late evening and he still had not returned. Finally, after switching the focus between the clock and the television, her eyes began to droop.

* * *

><p>Giving a deep exhale, he opened the doorknob, preparing for a barrage of questions, attitudes, and demands. What greeted him was nothing of the sort.<p>

The room was quiet, except for the droning sound of the news on television. His "sister" was nowhere to be found.

Until his eyes landed on the young girl curled up on the couch. Slowly, he walked over to her, staring down and tilting his head, clearly unsure of what to do with her. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his eyes lingered on her face too long. Closing his mouth, he watched her for another moment.

How could she continue to look so peaceful?

Ayumu's gaze washed over her face, holding on the way her hair fell like honey over her face and shoulders. Something like a shiver ran up his spine and he shook his head of his thoughts and knelt beside the couch, slowly shifting his hands under her sleeping form and scooping her up into his arms. He was slow and steady, though his movements seemed a little awkward.

Standing, he brought her back into the bedroom and gently laid her across the bed. A few shadows cast over the bedroom, bathing it in a stark black and grey. He gently covered her with the blankets and stood there for a moment. He then quickly cleared his throat and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Under his breath, a few words came to his mouth, "Foolish girl."

With that, he assumed a seat on the couch. He folded his arms and frowned, having full knowledge that above anything else he must speak with her in the morning. The situation was very disturbing indeed.

* * *

><p>The sound of a door opening and closing, followed by the sound of footprints were all that one could discern from the dark room. Finally, a voice boomed from the back of the room, "Did you make contact?"<p>

Another voice came from the door, issuing the demanded response, "Yes, sir."

A moment, then, "And what did you find out?"

There was a slight chuckle on the other end, "Only that this is going to be fun."

**Preview: After a strategy meeting, Ayumu and Hiyono go to steak out the territory and investigate leads. However, with two sides avidly trying to gain control of the situation, the air becomes tense and the possibility of danger grows as the two sides may have shown themselves.**

**Curious to know what you guys thought of this chapter. I'd like to think I'm getting pretty good at all this serious angsty mysterious danger stuff. And yes, I do acknowledge the amount of angst in this chapter. Anyway, I hope you guys keep reading! Thank you so much! Prayin' and Lord bless!**


	3. The Mediation Between

**Forgive me for the immensely long delay, you guys, real life has been a pain in the you-know-what and this chapter gave me a huge case of writer's block.**

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.**

"Kiss me, Hiyono." His nearly-breathless voice hissed lowly, and she felt the hot air from his mouth tickle her neck as he turned her to face him. Hiyono stopped to stare into his determined chocolate eyes and found herself drawn to them, her mind going over ten different topics at once. Her mouth stuttered as his hand toyed with her fingers, "Na-Narumi-san…"

Slowly, she felt his other hand snake up one side of her back and grip the soft flesh around her shoulder blade. His other hand grasped her wrist, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand, "No talking, Hiyono. Just kiss me."

The reporter gulped slightly and watched him for another moment, taking in the expression in his eyes. She wanted to feel it again. She wanted to feel the rush of being swept away into another world, the passion of being held and cherished by someone, and that inexplicable feeling that took her breath away the first time he kissed her. Even if it was just once more, she wanted to know what it was like.

So she complied.

The warmth she felt when her lips softly met his was a warmth that, should she be honest with herself, she dearly missed. His lips weren't chapped and awkward at all this time. They had a masculine roughness to them, but it was something that was also suave, deliberate, and smooth, not at all like the way Ayumu Narumi had kissed her before.

His one hand trailed up her arm to brace her cheek as he took full advantage of her compliancy, breathing heavily as he kissed her harder, insistent on not allowing her to be more involved in the activity than he was.

Whether one would consider it a long kiss or a number of shorter ones would be up to anyone who saw it, but the way she drew her arms around the back of his neck and the way he continuously whispered her name, it was clear that neither cared who saw them at that point.

It was almost as if she was in the midst of a dream. And she felt her consciousness slip away from her. She knew she had to wake up. She wanted to remember this moment. She had to commit it to memory. Wake up, Hiyono.

"Hey. I said, 'wake up!'"

She groaned, feeling as if her consciousness was drawing back much faster now. The light stung her weary eyes when he opened the blinds. She groaned again, unwilling to leave the site of where she had been not too long ago. It wasn't until she felt a firm socked foot jostling her back and forth that she opened her eyes, seeing a clearly disgruntled pajama-clad Ayumu Narumi standing over her with a spatula, an apron tied around his waist, and a slightly flustered scowl plastered on his face.

And with a stunning jolt of devastation and embarrassment, Hiyono realized that the place she had been a few minutes ago was clearly a dream.

Sitting up, she took a quick glance around the hotel bedroom, now remembering that she had fallen asleep on the couch the previous night. Hiyono stole a quick glance at her partner, who maintained his miffed scowl and grumbled, "Come on, get up. Or breakfast is gonna get cold."

She blinked for a few moments while processing the information. Wasting no time, she emitted a small squeak and bounded from the bed, scrambling into the main room and sliding into a chair at the table. The reporter picked up a knife and fork and waited eagerly as her partner delivered her plate of bacon and eggs to her, setting it in front of her rather stiffly before fetching his own breakfast. She ate quickly, almost as if she was trying to distract herself from the thoughts of the dreams she was having in relation to the young man sitting directly in front of her. Swallowing a deep breath in between bites, she brought another forkful towards her mouth and stopped half-way, finally lifting her eyes to him.

He was staring at her.

Very strangely, at that. Which slightly unnerved her, considering he hadn't so much as wanted to take a glance at her since they had left Texas.

He didn't say anything, but eventually turned his head to look away, his eyebrows drawing closely together and his spiky mess of hair fell over his eyes.

Baffled by curiosity and the slightest bit of disturbance, Hiyono inclined her head, "Um, Narumi-san? Are you alright? You're—"

His frown deepened and he took a couple glances at her big golden eyes, full of concern, and sighed inaudibly, visibly defeated. "You should be more careful about what you say in your sleep."

Hiyono froze.

And she dropped her fork to her plate.

Her mouth hung agape, and she had trouble forming thoughts in her brain, let alone words in her mouth. Ayumu was the first one to clear his throat, which shook her from her brain-exploding-induced stupor as she listened to him, suddenly finding the act of picking at the food on her plate quite interesting.

And the longest moment of awkward silence she had experienced in her life so far passed like molasses on a winter's day. Finally, he spoke, rubbing the back of his head once and frowning as his voice cracked a bit at the very beginning of his sentence, "S-so, um, what were your conclusions yesterday? Were you able to get any information?"

Finally finding an outlet for her embarrassment as the subject shifted, a relieved sigh escaped her lungs. She nodded slightly, and began, telling her partner about the boy on the computer who had invited them to see where he worked.

"How about you?"

He sighed and went silent for a few minutes. Finally, he responded, "Well, maybe. I can't say for sure. I met a woman outside the coffee shop. Business-clad, relatively young, honestly looked a little like Madoka."

Hiyono felt her muscles tighten uncomfortably at his last remark. Passing it off, she tried to pay attention as he continued.

"After that, I went to do some investigation. It seems that there is a large event held not too far away, and many of the workers stay in hotels nearby. However, a lot of them stay in smaller hotels than this one, and I was unable to find any names of anyone that worked there in relation to this hotel specifically. I didn't have too much time to look, but, judging by the wild goose chase those three morons led us on, there has to be some connection."

"What kind of event is it, Narumi-san?"

"It's a specialized yearly load of trouble, that's what it is. Supposedly they hold them in different places around the States every year. The workers and even the visitors dress up in costumes from the specified era." He leaned his elbows on the table and folded his hands thoughtfully.

Hiyono, on the other hand, nearly jumped up, her eyes bright, "You mean like a Renaissance Faire?"

Ayumu groaned as his partner hit the nail on the head.

The girl squealed, but quickly contained herself, "Narumi-san, how do you know our ally has anything to do with this thing?"

"First, the safest place to meet someone like this without drawing attention would be at some sort of glorified hoo-ha with a large amount of people, much like this one. It would be much more difficult for Hunters to specify our location. Second, I have the strangest feeling that this whole trip is hell-bent on making my life a living…well…"

He glanced at her, then cleared his throat.

"Narumi-san."

"So, the most logic course of action is to research these folks and perhaps pay them a well-prepared visit. I have a feeling not all of our company is good."

"Narumi-san…"

"Today we'll see what we can find out and see if we can track these people down again."

"Narumi-san!"

"What?"

"Did you just say 'hoo-ha'?"

His eyes narrowed, "I hate America."

* * *

><p>So, research is exactly what they did. It would have been nice to report any facts from either end, but, without a whole lot of time and a computer that Hiyono would be able to hack without someone noticing, they were left slightly in the dark.<p>

"Narumi-san, what about the boy in the café? He had a computer, and I'm sure I could do the research without letting on to anything."

Ayumu thumbed his chin, then his mouth flattened into a line, "I don't want you leaving the room."

She pouted and crossed her arms, "Come on, Narumi-san, I'm not a child."

The detective shook his head, "There's no way I'm letting you out of the room."

* * *

><p>"I'm not happy about this, I hope you know."<p>

A light smirk decorated her face, "Face it, Narumi-san, you would be nowhere without my brilliant computer hacking skills."

"Quiet, girl. Do you want to get us arrested?"

Hiyono shrugged, "It won't get us arrested. Besides, I'm speaking in Japanese!"

"Oh yeah, as if two Japanese-speaking teenagers acting suspiciously around American computers won't draw any attention. Now try to speak English when you're here, okay?"

Puffing out her cheeks, she complied, speaking now in English, "Very well, Ryu-kun. Is this better?"

He grunted.

Hiyono glanced around as they neared the café. The boy said that he would be there in the evenings, so the best plan of action would be to catch him then. Sure enough, he was sitting in the corner, typing away at his computer.

If Hiyono's calculations were correct, she may not even have to use his computer, though she would never let on this suspicion to her partner, or he would definitely force her to stay at the hotel with a bag of chips and the remote control.

She walked through the door with new purpose now, intent on getting the answers she was after, and perhaps even an exciting new development.

The boy, who stated his name as Vince, glanced over his shoulder as she approached and nodded in acknowledgement. She waved, noting that he turned away quickly to close a couple windows on his computer before turning back to speak to her. Ayumu would definitely have caught on to that detail.

She sighed quickly, inhaling a new breath and introducing Ayumu. Well, sort of.

"Good afternoon, Vince. This is my brother, Ryu."

"Is he now?" Vince lifted an eyebrow and gave another nod, to Ayumu this time, "Afternoon, Ryu."

Ayumu spared no courtesy, "Tch."

Clearing her throat, Hiyono continued, "So, I was wondering…you said yesterday that you worked somewhere, right? You're awfully young to be working, where do you work?"

He tilted his head, "Oh, I work at the Faire nearby. Do you wanna visit?"

Hiyono beamed, "Sure, that'd be wonderful!"

The boy tapped his chin, "So, how about Friday, then? I'll see you two there!"

By the time Ayumu found the words to say, it was too late. The girl had gotten them into another conundrum. However, while this was one of the most aggravating tasks yet, the biggest problem consuming Ayumu's mind at the moment was the compromise of Hiyono's safety no matter what action he took.

He supposed at least this way he could keep an eye on her.

* * *

><p>"Hey."<p>

The sound of his voice almost made her jump and swallow all the toothpaste that was in her mouth. Of all the times to talk to her, why did he have to pick now? Here they were, standing side by side in the bathroom while brushing their teeth; and the rushing water of the faucet had been the only sound keeping the situation from feeling awkward.

Nevertheless, she turned towards him. He didn't look at her, but spat his toothpaste into the sink, leaning over the edge of the bathroom counter.

"Are you…Are you sure about this? Is this what you really want to do?"

Hiyono faced forward again, thinking as she finished brushing her teeth. After spitting into the other sink, she wiped her mouth with a hand towel, "Narumi-san…if you asked me what I really want, then…"

The reporter paused, then breathed in a sigh of happiness, "Then YES! Just thinking about all the wonderful dishes and food that will be there makes my heart fly off into the lands of happiness! The floodgates of my soul overflow with passion at the mere thought of the masses of meat skewered on a stick! Just the thought of it brings tears of joy to my eyes and I feel I will simply explode from the sheer ecstasy of it all!"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shake his head, clearly partly expecting her response. Another moment of silence between them and she averted her eyes to the tiled floor and bit her lip, her fingers tracing the veins of the marble counter.

"Honestly…Narumi-san, I'm happy anywhere as long as I'm–"

A knock on the door interrupted the serious moment, and Ayumu rushed past her, placing his hand momentarily on her shoulder to keep her in her spot by the bathroom counter. Closing the bathroom door behind him, the detective stepped into the hall and went to answer the door.

She was left to whisper the rest of her heartfelt sentiment to her own ears alone, "– with you."

For a few minutes, Hiyono heard nothing. However, this didn't last long before she heard her partner's voice. Her heart tightened. His voice sounded dead serious.

"Hiyono, stay where you are!"

As soon as she heard his voice, she bolted from the bathroom, heading towards the hallway. She froze dead in her tracks, however, when she saw him crouching in front of the door. He swerved his neck to face her, dark eyes hardened, "I said to stay where you are, you idiot!"

She stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed.

Ayumu took a deep breath and gazed at her, "Just…don't get any closer…okay? Unless you want that thing about you exploding to come true."

The reporter's eyes widened and she watched as her companion slowly stood to his feet, holding a packaged rectangular box in his hands.

No…

Could it be?

Could that really be a…a bomb?

**Hope it's alright, you guys. The middle section of this one gave me horrible writer's block. I only got back into it at the end. So forgive me if this chapter's a little bland. One of them gosh-darn transitional chapters. Anyway, Lord bless, hope to see you guys again soon.**

**Preview:**

_After a mysterious package arrives at the door of their hotel room, it becomes clear that someone has targeted the detective and his young reporter. Thus, when an ally presents itself, will Ayumu recognize it? Finally, the identity of the ally is revealed, and the two companions arrive at their base of operations. All seems well and fun, at least for one of them, but how long will that last?_

**Until next time, Lord bless and praying for you guys!**


	4. The Opposing Forces

**The only excuse I can give: Life happens. I'm going to finish this thing, I promis****e you.**

* * *

><p><em>Previously:<em>

"_Hiyono, stay where you are!"_

_The reporter's eyes widened and she watched as her companion slowly stood to his feet, holding a packaged rectangular box in his hands._

_No…_

_Could it be?_

_Could that really be a…a bomb?_

* * *

><p>Out of all the diabolical methods of debilitating doom to deal death to the dynamic duo...<p>

"Why is it always bombs?" Ayumu grumbled, picking absently at the package's wrapper. He glanced momentarily back to the face of their hotel, unable to tell if he imagined an anxious female silhouette against one of the windows or not. Then he turned and hurried off, careful to attempt to look casual with a slightly overexaggerated swagger and a package under one arm while walking down the street in the middle of the night.

After quite a bit of study of the tourist maps to figure out the lay of the land, he had located a park nearby, and, at that particular time of night, it would be empty. At this point, he didn't care if it looked horrendously creepy to stalk into a park at night with a mysterious package. The truth was that the situation was every bit as suspicious as it seemed, and Ayumu wanted Hiyono to have no part in it.

There was no question in his mind, nor the minds of the guests in the neighboring hotel rooms, that Hiyono was not happy about this. He would probably have to answer for his actions, while enduring a healthy helping of puppet punches from his impatient pal.

No matter. It was worth it if it meant she'd be safe. The nagging thought that perhaps the Hunters wanted him to leave her alone in the hotel ached at him, but he shrugged it off momentarily.

He reached the center of the park and shooed a homeless guy off the bench before he sat down. Ayumu carefully peeled back the wrapping, all the while thinking that the Hunters would probably count on him leaving the hotel so no one would be in danger. It occurred to him that what he was holding was most likely a decoy and something terrible could happen to the hotel and to Hiyono while he wasn't there.

Ayumu's raging thought process was only making it worse.

It took him almost ten minutes to fully unwrap the package. He held the box up to his ear and, deducing that there was no ticking sound inside, slowly opened the top of the box.

His heart pounded.

Perhaps he should've at least said something to Hiyono before locking her up in the hotel room's closet...

Ayumu heaved a tense breathy sigh through his clenched teeth. He unwittingly closed his eyes as the box's contents were bared to him, almost as if he had walked in on a woman in the middle of changing.

When he opened his eyes and saw what was inside, his stomach sank, and he knew he was starting to feel sick.

Ayumu Narumi almost wished it had been something that scandalous.

He sincerely entertained the thought of drowning his head in the fountain for about 39 seconds longer than he probably should have, knowing that he would have sold his soul to go back to the ranch full of dusty drunk cowboys and bull-riding hillbillies right then.

* * *

><p>"I dunno, Narumi-san, I think you look quite dashing!"<p>

Her attempts at consolation only seemed to make it worse. Screw salvation, the purpose of the Blade Children's existence was to make his life absolutely miserable. The fabric was stiff and scratchy and he was pretty sure the clothes were a size too small, plus he looked ridiculous.

"There is no way I'm working at another one of these."

She stepped forward to fix his collar, "You don't have to work, Narumi-san. We just have to go and observe until we find what we're looking for. If we had to work at one, then we could easily miss our informant."

Hiyono stepped back to admire her handiwork, "There, perfect. Now, my turn."

As she picked up another bundle of fabric and made a move towards the bathroom. That just wouldn't do.

"Hiyono!" he caught her by the arm.

He dropped her arm and cleared his throat, "You won't be coming with me."

Hiyono puffed out her cheeks, "And why not?"

Ayumu's gaze dropped to the ground, "It's too dangerous."

She set the costume down and folded her arms, "Oh, and you throwing me into a dark closet and not coming back for me until two hours later was _wonderful_ for my health."

"It was an hour and a half, and whatever happens, you need to stay safe."

There was a moment of pause, then Hiyono stepped forward, her hand rising to rest on Ayumu's face. Her voice was soft, "Narumi-san, it means a lot to me that you care about my safety, but I need to go with you. I'm no safer here, someone obviously knows we're staying in this hotel if they're sending us packages. We honestly don't know if this is our informant or a Hunter, but anything could happen and this could very well be a trap. No matter how you look at it..." She smiled, "The safest place I could be...is right by your side. Besides, what would you do without me?"

"Hiyono..." his eyes held on her, and it only took her a few moments to realize her actions and yank her hand back from his face, gathering up her costume and storming into the bathroom before she could do anything else embarrassing.

Ayumu watched her hastily shut the door behind her and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. She was incorrigible, that one.

He had long sprawled out on the sofa and sleep had almost overtaken him when she emerged from the bathroom. The rustling of fabric registered in the back of his mind, but only served to make him roll over and grunt in exhaustion.

The expectant silence afterwards served much better to wake him, and he groggily sat up, his eyesight blearily coming into focus. The young woman before him swallowed and wrung her hands together nervously. After a moment she took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, spinning around in all her petticoated glory.

"Narumi-san, isn't it simply beautiful?"

Ayumu took one glance at her and simply grunted again, flopping backwards on the couch and closing his eyes.

"What, no, "Oh, Hiyono, you look so beautiful!" or "Yes, it is, but that's only because it's on you" or even just a "It's nice, Hiyono"? You're a cruel insensitive pig! Maybe I'll just go to that Renaissance Faire and run off with the Court Jester!"

Ayumu groaned, "What do you need my contribution for? You already made up some for me, so I don't need to say any more, do I?"

She huffed, "Well, it'd be nice to hear what you actually think once in a while!"

Ayumu momentarily lifted his head to look at her, then let it fall back to the couch, "Do you really need to hear it? You already know what I think about you."

The journalist stopped before retorting with the instinctual "Do I?" and thought for a moment. Then she turned away from him and marched into the bedroom, muttering, "It's late. We better get some sleep. We only have one more day to plan before we have to go to this thing."

The detective slowly felt sleep aching at his eyelids, and he barely heard her whisper "Good night" from the other room.

* * *

><p>"So, you think that this whole thing's a set up from the Hunters?"<p>

"There's no reason to suspect that this isn't a trap. We have to be really careful. Now tell me again what all that kid at the cafe told you."

Hiyono took a sip of her coffee and pouted, "What am I, your ditsy eyewitness? The boy's name is Vince, early to mid teens, hangs out at the cafe a lot to get internet. He works at the Renaissance Faire, and from the look of his clothes and laptop, his family's relatively well off. He mentioned something about a school project on redemption and salvation, and he wants us to visit the Faire to see where he works. He also mentioned that he walked to the cafe from home to get internet, meaning wherever he lives is within walking distance."

"So, then, there's a large possibility that this kid could have looked us up in the registry and had the packages delivered himself."

The girl sighed, "So, what? You think Vince is our Hunter? Why wouldn't he have just delivered a bomb then? And what about that 'business woman' you met outside the cafe? She could just as easily be our Hunter!"

He eyed her seriously, "Hiyono, I don't want you speaking with Vince again."

She choked on the coffee that was halfway down her throat, "But Narumi-san! What if he's our contact? We need more information! I say we lurk around and ask questions one more time."

He stood up from the table and tossed his styrofoam coffee cup in the trash, "Very well. I'll go out and look for more information. I don't want you talking to this kid. I don't even want you leaving the hotel."

She stared at him, confounded, before collecting herself, "Narumi-san, I'm your partner! I'll help you any way I can."

Grabbing his coat, he turned to leave, taking all the hotel room cardkeys with him, "Don't leave the hotel. I'll be back soon."

Hiyono huffed and sunk into the wooden chair. How could she help if she wasn't allowed to go anywhere? He said don't leave the hotel, but he didn't say she had to stay in the hotel room.

* * *

><p>"I thought I might see your handsome face around here again."<p>

Ayumu shrugged, "I guess you could say I was curious."

Margaret peeled off her blazer and allowed her hair to cascade down her blouse, "So why don't we have a little talk over a nice cup of coffee?"

"Sounds fine to me."

* * *

><p>Forget Ayumu Narumi. Hiyono Yuizaki was a genius. Case Dismissed.<p>

"Okay, so can you tell me who dropped off a package for this room number?"

She showed the room's cardkey to the receptionist, who took a good look at it before accessing her computer records.

Coming up with the _"I lost my cardkey"_ excuse then tucking the extra cardkey inside her shirt when they had first gotten the room? Brilliant! Next time Ayumu would think twice about leaving her behind.

"Well, it was addressed from...oh my goodness..."

"What? Who was it?"

"Was there anything wrong with the package?"

"What? No, why? It was just a secret admirer gift, I think."

"Well, this says it came from the address of the Rhoden-Haghen suite."

"Rhoden-Haghen?"

"Ma'am, that's the man that owns this hotel."

* * *

><p>"So, you said you were curious, handsome. What can I do for you?" Margaret folded her hands under her chin.<p>

He leaned his arms casually on the table, "Well, let's start with where you work. Beautiful woman in a suit like that? Whatever you do must be pretty interesting."

Margaret chuckled, "I suppose you could say that. I'm a business sponsor. I sponsor different qualifying companies that come into the area and in return they give me benefits and advertise my company and merchandise. What about you, Ryu?"

His reaction was effortless, "My sister and I are passing through en route to New York City. Our parents met there and this is the first time we've gotten to travel since our father left. She really wanted to see it. We figured we'd see the sights while we're here."

She smiled, "That's so sweet of you!"

He continued without hesitation, "I hear there's a Renaissance Faire in town for the rest of the week. Is that one of the businesses you're sponsoring?"

She blinked a few times, "Why, yes it is, actually. In return for the sponsorship my company gets to run some of the events and I get to come and go whenever I please."

Ayumu raised his eyebrows, "That's quite a benefit."

Margaret nodded and smiled, "Well, yes, I suppose it is. It gets awful old sometimes though, those things can only be so much fun when you're alone."

Before Ayumu had a chance to react, her eyes lit up and her ruby lips opened in a pearly white smile, "Say! I have an idea! Why don't you come with me sometime this week? I could show you around and even get a guest for your sister if you want me to!"

"Well, it's...an idea."

"Great! So, we can meet here tomorrow at two, and go there together! Got it?"

With that, she got up and sauntered towards the door, turning and giving a smooth wave, "See you tomorrow, handsome."

* * *

><p>When Hiyono composed herself, she thanked the receptionist and looked around the lobby. Suddenly, she saw something sitting on the couch in the waiting room that she didn't quite expect to see. She meandered over and sat down beside him, the tapping of computer keys the only noise between them for a good long while. He was the first to speak.<p>

"Sorry about this, I know there's better ways of getting your attention."

"Vincent, _Miki_ is not allowed to speak with you, so as far as you know she's talking to herself and you're talking to someone on the computer."

He smiled at his computer screen, "Understood."

There was a pause, then, "Rhoden-Haghen?"

He cringed, "Oh, come on, like introducing your full name like that sounds cool."

"Why didn't _he_ tell _her_?" Hiyono emphasized, referring to the two of them in third person.

"I couldn't just say all the stuff straight out. It's hard doing stuff like that, ya know? Especially in our situation."

"What situation could he be talking about?" She whispered.

"If I could talk clearly, I'd do so...but not here or now...Do you have a pen?"

Hiyono fumbled to reach in her pocket for her pink notebook, which, of course, always had a pen in it. Drawing it out, she handed it to him, along with a ripped piece of paper from her notebook. He pushed his laptop away from him and set to scribbling something down on the scrap of paper. When he finished, he folded it up and discretely tucked it into the folds of her hand, "Now, don't open that until you get back into your room. Then go to this floor and knock three times on the door of this room."

She nodded dumbly and he picked his laptop back up, settling it on his lap and going back to his own business. Hiyono took the hint to stretch, grab a tissue and a mint from the lobby before heading back to her own room. She paced herself at a nice, casual walk even after she unlocked her door. Opening the scrap of paper, she read the scrawled handwriting and took a deep breath.

Should she do this? Ayumu would certainly object...vehemently. What if Ayumu was right and Vince was the Hunter? She would be walking right smack into his clutches. But what if Hiyono was right and Vince was the informant they were looking for? If she didn't get the information, they could be walking right into a trap and not even know it. Plus, they'd never get the help they desperately needed. If they missed this chance and Vince was on their side, then they could easily wind up dead. But if she went there and Vince was a Hunter, her life would be forfeit immediately.

It was much too risky. Even if she went and Vince was a good guy, her life would be forfeit anyway the moment Ayumu figured out where she went.

Every piece of evidence suggested the likelihood of Vince being a Hunter, and going into a strange room in the very hotel his father owned would be like walking into the jaws of death itself.

No matter how she looked at it, it'd be a little safer to just stay in her room and not do anything. But she couldn't shake the curiosity. And technically, she wasn't leaving the hotel...

What if young Vince was the good guy?

Well, curiosity killed the cat, and with a deep breath Hiyono realized that she was about to become the subject of that very expression. She took the hallways and staircases casually, avoiding the elevators for obvious reasons she and Ayumu had encountered time and again. Her deep anxiety mounted with each and every step closer she took to the room that Vince and designated for her. As she stood in front of the door, her heart drummed wildly in her chest and she had one last chance to turn back.

She didn't take it.

After three knocks, she steeled herself and heard a "Come on in!" from inside. She opened the door incredibly slowly, glancing above and below for trip wires or booby traps of any kind. When there were none, she looked around for guns or crossbows or anything else that could possibly spell her doom.

Across the room she saw Vince's silhouette in front of a myriad of computer monitors. He called to her without turning around, "Oh, and please close the door behind you."

She closed the door behind her, but kept her hand on the doorknob, ready to flee at a moments notice. A few moments of silence and clacking keys led Hiyono to clear her throat, "Uhm, not to be rude, Vince, but, don't you think this is a really dangerous way to meet?"

Vincent turned around, and his eyes glimmered for a second, like a cat's eyes at night when the light reflected off them just right. His voice was low, "On the contrary,_ Hiyono Yuizaki_, this was the safest way there is."

Hiyono froze up and grasped the doorknob with her sweaty palms as Vince took a couple steps towards her.

He spread his arms out wide, "It's time you knew. What you see on the screen right now is one aspect of the Savior Project. And I am its technical designer, Vincent Rhoden-Haghen. You will learn the rest in good time. In the meantime, I will give you safe-haven as long as I can, but it's become very dangerous here."

Slowly, some of the missing puzzle pieces fell into place and Hiyono's mind felt a burden lifting from her shoulders. That is, until something very disturbing hit her like a freight train.

"Narumi-san's in danger!"

* * *

><p><strong>That, my friends, is Chapter 4. If I've kept your attention this long, my deepest thanks are an order. I am in the works of Chapter 5 for a moment, but I'd like to stay a Chapter ahead of myself. I can tell you that I fully intend to NOT make you wait another two years for it...Again, deepest thanks, prayers to you!<strong>

**Preview:**

Now that Hiyono's discovered a key point in their quickly developing case, what can she do to protect Ayumu when he refuses to believe her? Especially when he inches closer and closer to the jaws of the enemy? What is the enemy's plot and what exactly do they have planned for Ayumu? And how will Hiyono hide her identity from the Hunters and hide her whereabouts from the person she cares about most? And what exactly IS the Savior Project?

**(Any similarity to persons, places, or things other than '_Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna/Bonds of Reasoning'_****and the idea of the American Renaissance Faire is purely coincidental and bears no intentional relation to any existing party.)**


End file.
